Meeting at the Market
by xt1me
Summary: Set at any point in Leverage and just before Civil war start in the MCU. A certain hitter meets the ex fist of Hydra.


Eliot Spencer was wandering around the local farmers market.

The team had finished the job but were still stuck in South-Eastern Europe because even Hardison couldn't hack a plane to go faster, something he insisted quite loudly when the rest of them complained. So since they were stuck waiting, Eliot decided he was going to cook a celebratory dinner.

It was the fact that he hadn't noticed the man that made him pause. There was something very distinctive about someone trying not to be distinctive but this guy was good. He hadn't noticed anything off until he was next to him at a stall looking at fruit. Unfortunately, pausing caused the other man to notice him as well.

Though from the outside it may not have looked like anything the tension between the two men was getting dangerous.

Eliot couldn't tell where the other had gotten his training, something that was telling in it's own right, so he decided to go with the local language.

/"I'm not looking for trouble."/

This didn't cause the tension to decrease but it at least made the other man move into a more relaxed stance. The movement allowed Eliot to catch a glimpse of something that made his breath catch. It took ever bit of training he had, from the military to running cons, to not let himself react anymore. There was metal under the sleeve of the other man's left arm. Judging by the odd way the arm moved, almost imperceptible under the many layers of clothes the other was wearing, that metal went up to his shoulder.

The Winter Soldier.

He was looking at a myth.

Eliot was very happy that the stall owner was occupied with an argument with another customer. It was going to be tricky getting out of this one. The Soldier didn't seem to want attention either so maybe it wasn't impossible.

The Winter Solider was famous for only appearing on missions and never leaving witnesses, but even ghosts must needed time off. He had to try.

/"Are you on a job?"/ he asked carefully.

/"No,"/ The other man seemed to be being just as careful even though surely he didn't have as much to worry about. Eliot was good, but if even a third of what he heard was true, he was hardly in the same league as the Winter Solider.

/"Are you?"/

It was real annoying how you never got told what to do when you came across another operative when not on the job, but experience taught that it was best to go with the truth.

/"Already finished. Shipping out tomorrow."/

The other man simply looked at him searchingly. Eliot tried to think of all the things Sophie said about getting a mark to trust you but before he could try anything the other man just nodded and seemed to relax.

Eliot didn't give a sigh of relief, though it was a close thing. He knew what he should do now was back off so that they could both go their separate ways.

"Are they ripe?" In his head Eliot was already blaming Hardison for this. Or maybe Parker. Working with those two must be effecting his impulse control. Still, when else would he ever get a change to talk to _the_ Winter Soldier.

The other man turned to face him, his previously blank face now puzzled. Eliot was just thinking of repeating the question, this time not in the English he had blurted out, before when the other asked "What?"

"The fruit," he clarified, nodding at the stall, "are they ripe?"

"How can you tell?" The Solider spoke English with an American accent (not that that necessarily meant anything) but it was the look on his face that Eliot noticed more. He recognised that look from the mirror. From the time after he sworn off guns. When he had felt lost and drowning in blood but also free for the first time in forever.

He had heard rumours about the mess in DC. If the Winter Solider had decided to break free of whatever was holding him then... Well, Eliot had someone to talk to when he was lost. He could throw someone else a lifeline now.

"Eliot Spencer," he introduced himself holding out a hand. The other man hesitated but shook, replying "Bucky Barnes."

Eliot smiled slightly. He would have expected a Russian sniper but if you wanted an alias you could do worse then a hero like that. Turning back to the stall he started, "Okay, the first thing you got to know is that with most fruit you can tell ripeness by feel..."


End file.
